Seven killed after Russia launches cluster bombs and air strikes upon Donetsk

Residents in the town of Druzhkivka, in the Ukrainian-controlled frontline region of Donetsk in the east, were hit by the attack on Wednesday, the regional governor Vadym Filashkin said.

According to the official, Vladimir Putin's forces shelled the town's market with cluster munitions - weapons that release smaller explosives once fired - and also dropped two aerial bombs.

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A further eight people were seriously injured.

There was no immediate comment from Russia on the attacks.

Both Moscow and Kyiv deny that they are targeting civilians in the war that started with Russia's invasion in 2022.

The attack comes after Russia unleashed its largest ballistic missile attack of the war on Tuesday, days after US president Donald Trump claimed Putin had promised to halt strikes on major Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.

Russia fired as many as 71 ballistic missiles into Kiev, a record a record since their full scale invasion in February 2022.

Despite this, Trump refused to criticise the Putin, adding that the Russian leader had "kept his word" as his promise was to "pause from Sunday to Sunday".

Speaking to reporters at the White House yesterday, the president said: "It opened up and (Putin) hit them hard... He kept his word on that. One week is a lot — we will take anything."

Both attacks come as the second round of three-way peace talks between Ukrainian, Russian and US delegations in Abu Dhabi kick off on Wednesday.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack changed the approach his team will take to the talks, accusing Moscow of using Trump's ceasefire request to stockpile munitions.